What is the difference between the PhD and DrPH degrees?
Traditionally, the PhD has been geared for individuals more interested in a career in academic research though it prepares students for academic, public or private sector research positions. The DrPH, while equally rigorous, is designed as an advanced practitioner’s degree to prepare future leaders in public health. The PhD focuses explicitly on Health Services Research. The DrPH is designed to give students additional depth in at least two of the core disciplines of Public Health (beyond the MPH degree). At the present time the school offers two DrPH programs, one with a concentration in Social and Behavioral Health, and another with a concentration in Epidemiology and Environmental Health.
